Nottinghamshire: Mobility scooter training

Safety training courses for mobility scooter users are set to be expanded throughout Nottinghamshire thanks to a proposed county council grant.

Between 2011 and 2013 there were three serious casualties involving mobility scooters in the county, along with six minor casualties and six casualties involving pedestrians.

The proposed £3,000 from the county council will help fund courses to reduce the risk of accidents involving mobility scooters and will help make sure users have control of their scooters.

There is limited training on the use of mobility scooters currently available in the county, including one-to-one awareness sessions offered by the Disabilities Living Centre in Nottingham.

The grant will help to broaden the training that is on offer from the centre, which will focus on using a scooter safely, maintenance advice, storage and information on reputable dealers and repairers.

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Safety Committee, said: “Mobility scooters help people to remain mobile and independent, but they are relatively powerful and heavy items that are used in pedestrian areas so it’s important that users have good control of them to avoid any accidents.